


Strange Birds

by ofIceandFire1897



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cinnamon Roll Newt Scamander, Drama & Romance, F/M, Family, Happy Ending, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Bad At Tagging, Protective Newt Scamander, Protective Tina Goldstein, i love these two
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-09-02 13:53:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16788226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofIceandFire1897/pseuds/ofIceandFire1897
Summary: It was a good place to begin again.Despite the misunderstandings that had yet to be discussed, despite the battles yet to come, it was a start.For both of them.----Tina goes to London with Newt and Theseus as they all try to mend after the events in Paris. The fight against Grindelwald has officially begun.





	1. Distractions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: Spoilers below for those who have not seen CoG!!!
> 
> Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at writing for this fandom, but CoG left me with all sorts of feels. It was a fantastic movie and I’ve already seen it twice now, but I couldn’t help but wish that we had gotten a little more screen time for Tina after Queenie joined Grindelwald. And of course, more NEWTINA. 
> 
> So, here I am.
> 
> This story takes place after CoG and will continue on from there. I only have a general idea of where I am going with this, so I’m just going to trust my muse and run with it.
> 
> The title for this story is inspired by the song of the same name by Birdy. It is a beautiful song that, in my opinion, fits Newt and Tina's relationship perfectly.

* * *

Tina stood in the modest living room of New Scamander’s equally modest London flat.

The room was lightly furnished—a time-worn couch sat before a bricked fireplace, and two small bookcases leaned haphazardly off to the side with their contents overflowed and had been stacked onto the floor. What caught Tina’s attention though, was the desk that looked as though it had been hastily shoved beneath the room’s large window. Stacked parchment littered its surface, scribbled in the same slanted scrawl of the letters she kept safely stored away beneath her bed back home. 

How many times had she tried to imagine what Newt Scamander’s home might look like… 

Under normal circumstances, she would have teased the Magizoologist about the clutter, but she was not there under normal circumstances. 

None of them were.

After their quick stop at Hogwarts, Tina and Theseus reported to the Ministry to give their statement—after long hours of merciless questioning, they’d both been given orders by their head of departments to take a few days. 

The grief that she had tried so hard to keep at arm’s length threatened to consume her as she took in the three faces in the room—and was deeply aware of the two that were missing.

“I think I’m going to go for a walk.” The eldest Scamander brother announced to the quiet group. Everyone nodded, the reminder of what happened in Paris sat upon them like a heavy cloud filled darkly with ominous water waiting to be released.

Newt reached for his brother, setting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. “Take all the time you need. We will all be here when you return.”

Theseus nodded but did not turn around and silently slipped out the door and into the drizzle that had begun to settle over the streets of London.

Newt stared at the closed door, his shoulders slumped a little more than usual. 

Jacob quietly dismissed himself not long after. Newt followed the baker down the narrow hallway, to settle him into the guest room.

Alone, Tina crossed her arms tightly over her chest. She gazed out the window, willing her mind to take her anywhere but the dark dwindling place it kept returning to. 

Her sister had betrayed her. She had betrayed all of them.

Tina squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to release the tears that threatened to fall.

Sweet, innocent Queenie. The sister she practically raised was now with the enemy. Where had she gone wrong?

Tina knew that she had been hard on Queenie but she’d only been trying to protect her. That’s all she had ever tried to do.

Maybe if— 

“Tina?”

Tina started at the sound of Newts gentle voice, forgetting completely that she still stood rigidly in the middle of the room. With a deep breath, she turned to face him, where he was nervously shifting from one foot to the other in the hallway as if he did not want to interrupt her silent grief.

She noted the suitcase in his hand.

“I was going to tend to the creatures.” He said after a moment. “Get everyone settled after my absence.” 

Tina nodded, tucking her hands into her coat pockets and gave him a small smile. “Yes, of course.” 

She expected him to quickly disappear to the comfort of his creatures, no doubt eager to set up a place for his newest edition, which is why she was surprised to still see him standing there as if he wished to say something more.

Tina waited for him patiently.

“Would you…I mean I could… I could show you the baby nifflers if you’d like.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment, eyes trained to the ground, before finding the courage to meet her questioning gaze. “I know that the others would love to see you too—they grew rather fond of you during my stay in New York. It took me a few days to convince them that you’d not be there for the evening feedings, actually.”

He rubbed the back of his neck giving her a shy grin.

Oh. 

Tina blinked, touched by his words. Or rather the meaning behind his words. It wasn’t every day that Newt Scamander let someone past those complicated walls of his. In the short time, she had known him, Tina had come to learn that he did nothing lightly where his creatures were involved.

Her silence must have drawn out too long, for Newt looked back to the ground, his green eyes hidden beneath the red curls that covered his forehead. “So sorry, how insensitive of me,” He cleared his throat. “You probably want to be alone right now—”

“Newt.” Tina cut off the rambling man and took a step forward. He looked up at her expectantly. “The last thing I want to be right now is alone.” She told him.

And it was the truth. Tina did not trust herself to not fall into a pool of tears the moment she was alone to ruminate over what had happened in Paris. 

Newt’s freckled face was etched in understanding. “Yes, of course.” Was all he said before moving across the note scattered floor. Tina got the feeling that he hadn’t wanted to be alone either.

She watched as he opened a small door by the stairway. He turned to look at Tina and held out a hand.

Tina took it quietly, letting the warmth of his calloused fingers soothe her aching heart, and guide her over the threshold of which contained a whole other world. 

The familiar golden light evaded Tina’s senses as she stepped down from the concrete steps. The air pulsed with gentle magic, filling the cracks between her aching heart—if only for a little while. 

She had forgotten how peaceful it had been to be amongst the sanctuary Newt had created for his lost and found animals. And the added space of his basement provided an even greater effect. Shuffling and tittering could be heard throughout as Newt gathered an assortment of buckets from the shed. Tina followed behind him, watching him work for a moment.

She had been so busy trying to be unaffected by seeing him again that Tina had not had a chance to properly look at the man that had taken her heart with him that day on the docks in New York nine months ago. That and the fact that Grindelwald decided to grace Paris with his presence made little time for them to sort out their little… misunderstanding.

Drinking in the sight of him, she tried in vain to snuff out the embarrassment that resurfaced at the mix-up that had started by a gossip magazine. Never having been one for frivolous gossip, she should have simply asked him about it. Instead, she had acted like a child.

He looked the same—if not slightly thinner. Newt was in his element with his creatures, free from the usual social awkwardness that Tina had come to adore so much. He had rid himself of his tweed coat, leaving him in an off-white dress shirt that he had rolled up over his forearms.

Tina noticed with silent alarm that his newly exposed skin was peppered with scars of various size and shapes—there was a long one that stood out against his freckled skin that ran from the inside of his elbow to the middle of his inner forearm. The flesh was puckered and not yet silver, telling Tina that it was a recent injury. The witch made a mental note to ask him about it.

“Can I be of any assistance?” She asked, feeling a bit useless gawking at him while he diligently sorted various concoctions into the different buckets and bottles. 

Newt looked up from his work a little wide-eyed. “You wouldn’t mind?” The shock that laced his voice told Tina that probably not many had offered such a thing before.

“I’d be happy to help, Newt.” She offered him a soft smile as she stepped into place beside him. There was a trace of white power smudged across his cheek, making his prominent cheekbones more pronounced, and before she knew what she was doing, Tina brought a hand up to brush the powdery substance away.

Newt flinched back slightly at the contact, not unlike she had when they first met. But unlike her, he did not halt her assistance. Heat filled Tina’s cheeks as his green eyes looked upon her face. “You had a bit of something…” She trailed off, bringing her hand back to her side. Her fingertips tingled where she had touched his smooth skin. 

“Oh.” Newt looked away, clearing his throat. “Thank you.”

Before things could become entirely too awkward, he carefully handed her a bottle filled with a milky substance in one hand and dropped a handful of what looked to be shiny silver coins in the other.

“Come,” Newt said, “I’ll show you how to tend to the baby nifflers.”

Newt led Tina over to an enclosed hut that glowed softly against the many gold and copper coins that spilled from its openings. The creatures huddled inside had Tina gasping in delight as they approached.

“Oh, Newt,” She breathed, not tearing her eyes from the tiny creatures that looked up at her in interest. “They are precious!”

“You say that now, just wait until one sneaks into your pockets and hitches a ride—the little buggers.” The man behind her complained good-naturedly as he opened the latch.

Newt expertly showed Tina how to feed the youngsters with a few shy glances and hesitant touches before heading off to tend to the other creatures, leaving the new arrivals in Tina’s capable hands. 

Tina managed to feed them all without a hitch. That was until it came time to put them back in their little cage of treasures. She’d managed to lure all except one back in using the silver coins Newt had given her.

“Come, now little one.” Tina encouraged softly to the brown and white youngster who clutched the gold locket that hung around her neck. “You can’t have this one I’m afraid.”

The little creature just stared at Tina, refusing to give it up. Plucking up a shiny coin from the table, Tina held it out in hopes that the niffler would turn its attention away from her necklace. 

Chocolate eyes blinked at the coin with disinterest. 

Mercy Lewis.

Tina sighed in defeat and scanned around for the familiar messy head of red curls. 

“Newt?” 

“Just here!” Came his answered reply.

Tina spotted the Magizoologist a little way down, scratching the neck of the ZouWu. The large creature looked content in his new home.

Shaking her head, Tina stared down at the creature as she made her way to Newt. “You’re gonna make me be the bad guy, aren’t you?”

As if on cue, Newt jumped down from the mountain enclosure and put his hands on his hips.

“Now, what have I told you about taking things that are not yours?” He gently chided to the animal in her arms.

The niffler had the decency to look remorseful, but not enough to give up its golden find. In fact, he held it a bit closer to his little chest. Tina had a distinct feeling that the little creature would have tucked it into his pouch had it not been for the chain keeping it around her neck. 

A little bugger, indeed.

Newt met Tina’s eyes with an apologetic grin. “Have you tried distracting him with something else?”

His hair had gone slightly askew against the ZouWu’s affections, and Tina was suddenly grateful for the baby niffler she held, or else she might have tried something absurd, like brushing it back into place.

Tina cursed her thoughts and looked back to the animal in her arms, letting her newly cropped hair hide the warmth that flooded onto her cheeks. “No such luck.”

“You’ll probably need to take it off then—only for a moment while I get it from his grubby paws.”

Tina’s heart sank to her stomach.

“I don’t take it off.” She whispered. “It’s just…It belonged to my mother and I haven’t taken it off since…well since she died.”

“Oh.”

She transferred the weight of the warm creature to her other hand, looking anywhere but to Newt. “I know, it’s silly—it’s just a necklace—”

A feather-light touch halted Tina’s words. Green eyes ducked to meet hers as Newt gently lifted her chin. “It’s not silly.” He told her with a fierceness that she’d only ever seen him use to defend his creatures. “We’ll try another way. Okay?”

Tina fought back tears at the sight of the encouraging upturn of his mouth. “Okay.” She replied quietly.

After a breath, Newt dropped his hand from her face and turned his attention back to the niffler. He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I think our problem is solved.”

Tina looked down, and let out a watery laugh at the sight of the slumbering niffler. The locket of her necklace now held his little grasp in sleep.

“Looks like someone wore himself out in his stubbornness.”

Tina continued to hold the slumbering niffler as she walked with Newt while he checked on the rest of the animals, wanting to keep his comforting warmth with her for just a little while longer.

Though she made sure to tuck her necklace in her blouse—just in case.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

By the time the pair made their way out of the basement, it was well past dark. The apartment was quiet, save for the ticking of the grandfather clock that sounded from the hallway. 

Newt walked down the dim corridor, peeking his head inside the second guest room.

He returned a moment later, relief evident on his face. “Thes is back—he’s asleep.”

Tina nodded, “That’s probably for the best.” And before she had a chance to say anything more, the clock chimed twelve. Echoing softly throughout the cluttered apartment.

“We could all do with some sleep.” Newt commented. “Let me show you where you’ll be staying.”

Tina quietly followed Newt to a room at the end of the hall.

Hand on the knob, he turned to her with a sheepish smile. “I apologize in advance for the untidiness. 

Newt opened the door and gestured for Tina to go first. She brushed past him and entered the room. The bed was neatly made, but like his desk, there was an overflow of books and scribbled notes on the nightstand. 

With a jolt, Tina realized that this was his room.

“I…I can’t put you out of your own room, Newt.”

Tina turned to find Newt hovering over the threshold.

“Nonsense,” He assured her with a look. “There’s no one I’d rather share my bed with.”

A look of horror crossed his handsome features at his choice of words, and Tina’s brows disappeared behind her fringe.

“That—what I mean is that I don’t mind giving my room up.”

Warmth filled Tina’s chest at the slight blush that stained his freckled cheeks. He looked a bit exasperated with himself, though he did meet Tina’s eyes with a small smile.

She returned it in kind, watching as relief flooded away his embarrassment.

“Thank you.” Tina spoke the words softly, touched by his generosity. Then frowned. “But where will you sleep?”

She had not remembered seeing any other rooms as they made their way down the hall. The couch in the den had been rather small—no doubt his lanky limbs would suffer.

Newt shrugged, not looking the least bit worried. “In the basement—I have a bed down there.”

Tina took note of the dark circles beneath his eyes and wondered when he last slept.

Her own body ached with exhaustion, but she found herself not looking forward to sleep—her dreams would no doubt haunt her tonight after the last twenty-four hours.

Tina brushed her fears aside, hoping that nothing showed on her face. She’d not worry Newt with such things—he had already done so much for her tonight—for all of them. 

With a pang of guilt, Tina realized that while Newt had been taking care of everyone, no one had thought to take care of him. Queenie was his friend. And Leta—

Well, Tina did not know exactly what Leta was to Newt anymore. But the woman had once meant something to the man who stood before her now, and now she was gone.

And there he’d been trying to cheer her up and she’d not even thought to return the kindness. How terribly awf—

“Tina?”

She blinked. 

“Yes?” 

Judging by the concern in his green eyes, Tina realized that he must’ve already called her name once.

She watched with a heavy heart as he stepped over the threshold with only a second of hesitation. His own tired eyes searched hers and he nodded towards the door. “Would you like a cup of tea before turning in? I always find that it helps settle the mind.”

Tina could see the hopeful glint in his expressive eyes and knew that it would be the least she could do after he’d been so good to her, and Jacob, and his brother. Plus, she had not been ready to part from him yet, anyway. 

“Yes, I’d like that,” She met him halfway and quietly slipped her arm through his, noting that he did not flinch away as he had before in the basement. “Very much.”

A cup of tea would do quite nicely.

It was a good place to begin again. 

Despite the misunderstandings that had yet to be discussed, despite the battles yet to come, it was a start.

For both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, aren’t these two just so adorable and awkward—or “adorkable” as Katherine Waterston recently put it—as they try to figure out how to act around one another? Skinny love, indeed…*sigh*
> 
> I felt like they sort of needed to find their groove again after being apart, and what perfect way to do that then to cue the baby nifflers! 
> 
> The plot will be introduced in the next chapter as the gang copes with their losses, and Tina tries to come up with a plan to get Queenie back…if she isn’t already too far gone.
> 
> I’ll try to have the next chapter up soon.


	2. Strange Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that I have taken so long to update! I found out I got accepted to study abroad for the next three years!!! I’ve been frantically running around without my head, trying to get ready for the big move that is happening in 3 months. 
> 
> Now that the waters have calmed a bit and I have some time to write. Yay! Updates will be more frequent, I promise!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it xx

_“Tina?”_

_Tina’s small hand gripped her mother’s—it was cold through the gloves they made her wear. Everything about the white room was cold. Tina hated it. She missed the warmth of their little house—the cozy fireplace that always seemed ignited with her father’s thoughtful magic._

_Magic, she would now never see again._

_“Tina?” Her mother rasped out again, more strongly than before. “I need you to promise me you’ll look after your sister when I’m gone.”_

_Tears spilled their hot path down Tina’s cheeks. She wanted to wrap herself around her mother’s failing body and never let go. But she could not—the enchantment that the healer’s put prevented her from touching anything other than her mother’s gloved hand. “You can’t leave us, too—not like Pa!” She cried, clutching her mother’s hand tighter._

_“Oh, my darling girl,” Her mother’s whisper was labored as she put a hand to her scabbed chest. “I’ll always be with you.”_

_Tina shook her head, letting the hot liquid from her eyes seep into the enchanted barrier between her and her mother. “Don’t leave me Ma.”_

_“Take this.”_

_Tina lifted her head to see a thin gold chain floating up to her. Her mother’s hand shook in effort around the wand she held. Tina quickly snatched the object from its levitation. She looked down at it, realizing it was the same necklace her mother always wore. She ran her thumb over the smooth surface of the locket. Tina couldn’t remember her ever taking it off._

_“Take it Tina, and know that I will never leave you.”_

_Tina gazed back to her mother who watched her with a sad smile on her dry lips._

_“Just promise me that you two will always stick together—not matter what.” The desperation in her voice frightened Tina._

_“Promise me, Tina.” Her mother coughed, hand over her mouth to keep the sparks from the dragon pox from escaping._

_Tina closed her hand around the necklace and clutched it to her chest. “I…I promise.” She tightened her other hold on her mother’s weakening grasp. “I promise, Ma.”_

_A peacefulness settled over her mother’s dotted face. “Go to her now, Tina. Be with her and know that your father and I will always be with you. Always.”_

Tina jolted awake, struggling against the invisible hands that gripped her shoulders, immobilizing her onto the mattress. They were gone in an instant, replaced by the faint scent of dried herbs and crisp parchment, and something else, entirely its own unique and familiar smell. 

Newt—Tina’s frantic mind discerned slowly. She was in Newt’s room. In London—not the cold, white chamber of the hospital ward.

She was safe. 

Tina blinked harshly against the wetness that blurred her vision and laid a shaky hand to her damp chest in an attempt to slow her racing heart. The room was dark, save for the pale light seeping out from beneath the curtains. Judging by the deafening silence that rang through her ears, no one else in the flat was awake.

 _Good_ , she thought with small relief. That meant she hadn’t cried out. 

A soft rustling sent Tina’s calming heart to her throat. She paused, listening quietly into the darkness, only to feel the bed shift as someone added weight to it. 

Before a sound of alarm could make its way past her lips, the mysterious “someone” revealed themselves. Tina let out a whoosh of air, bringing a hand to her forehead and pushing back the sweaty fringe. She gave a weary chuckle at the sight of Dougal sitting at the end of Newt’s double-sized bed. He looked at her in curiosity, and Tina swore she saw a hint of concern in the demiguise’s wise eyes.

She gently patted the space next to her. “What are you doin’ up here?”

Dougal hesitated for a moment before shuffling up on the bed beside Tina. But instead of sitting in her proffered space, he grabbed the hand she had clutching the quilted blankets, tugging gently. 

Tina gradually eased her grip on Newt’s blue quilt, letting the creature pull her further from the bed and down the narrow hallway, her bare feet making no sound as they crept past. 

Tina halted to a stop at the edge of the stairs that led down into the basement. She shook her head at the demiguise’s questioning look. 

“I can’t go down there, Doug,” She told the creature softly, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

He gave her a look as if to ask her why. 

Tina, who should have felt ridiculous in her printed sleep romper and bare feet, let alone having a full-fledged conversation with one of Newt’s creatures, only shrugged her thin shoulders. “Newt is down there.” 

Tina could have sworn the creature rolled his expressive eyes as he continued on down the steps, seemingly unworried about her hesitation. Tina bit her lip, looking around the empty sitting room and then back to where Dougal had disappeared.

“Oh, alright,” She whispered and put a tentative foot on the first step. The concrete was cold beneath her sockless feet, and her eyes could just make out Dougal’s pale fur in the weak light. “But if we get in trouble, I’m naming you as the culprit.” 

Newt’s sanctuary was quiet, no doubt everyone was still slumbering at such an early hour. The artificial sky glowed with the soft blue and purple tones of dawn, casting everything into pastel shadows. 

Tina followed Dougal, unsure of where exactly he was taking her. Her feet squished beneath the mossy ground cover as they went by the nifflers and bowtruckles, and patted faintly in the powdery sand as they passed the larger of the sleeping creatures. 

The demiguise finally came to a stop at a bricked archway and disappeared. 

Tina blinked, squinting in the poor light, not sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her. 

“Dougal?” She scanned around, heart lurching in her chest when she found no trace of him.

With an exasperated huff, Tina decided to see what the strange creature had wanted to show her. With one last glance at the trickle of light coming from the stairs that led up to Newt’s sitting room, she carefully made her way over to stand in the spot where the demiguise had vanished.

The sight beyond the threshold took the breath from Tina’s lungs, and she soon forgot that her invisible companion had gone awol on her. The vast expanse of trees formed in what she could only describe as a forest—a beautifully crafted one. Light fog hovered the damp ground, rolling and nipping at the tips of Tina’s toes. With a shiver, she took a step forward, leaving the rest of the sanctuary behind her as she let the full moon that peaked out of the thick clouds overhead pull her in further.

The air pulsed with strange magic—magic that felt vastly different than the rest of the basement. It was gentle and not at all uninviting—quite the opposite actually—but it was almost as if there was a second source of magic interlaced with Newt’s enchantment work. One that made the air velvet and the night frosty with the promise of snow. The wood seemed to hum in greeting as Tina traveled further into its peculiar depths. 

It was not until a distant pounding hit Tina’s ears that she snapped from her reverie. As the ground beneath her began to vibrate, Tina realized that she had not even thought about what might inhabit the enchanted wood. She cursed her ignorance and spun around, unable to tell which direction the sound was coming from. 

White flurries filled the air, cold and whirling in the velvet darkness as a flash of silver had Tina settling her searching gaze. The pounding, Tina realized with some alarm, was from what looked to be a horse. In the back of her shocked mind, she briefly wondered why Newt had a horse in his case of magical creatures. The thought was fleeting and disappeared completely as the animal approached closer at an alarming speed. Heart in her throat, Tina firmly planted her numbed feet on the ground, despite the fact that every bone in her body was screaming at her to run. 

Now close enough to make out between the sudden snowfall, Tina realized that the creature charging towards her was no ordinary horse. It’s great, powerful hooves flashed gold as the earth was kicked up behind it, and its coat shone silver against the waning darkness.

Now, only a few strides away, Tina began to question her decision to remain rooted to the ground. She closed her eyes, lashes damp and chilled from the snow, and braced herself for impact.

But it never came. 

She was met instead with rustling and harsh labored breaths.

Carefully opening her eyes, Tina was greeted to a glorious sight. An arm’s length away stood the magical horse, exhaling puffs of white mist into the cool air as it gazed at her with liquid blue eyes. It lifted its silvery nose into the air as if to sniff Tina out. Upon further inspection, she noticed a protrusion between its—her, Tina discerned—curious eyes.

Gulping, Tina took a timid step forward, eyes widening in horror as she realized what the protrusion was—a horn. A unicorn. 

But that wasn’t what disturbed Tina. No, what sent a chill licking down her spin was the jagged edges surrounding the stumped horn. 

It had been cut off. 

Tears prickled the backs of her eyes as she reached a shaking hand towards the mare. 

The unicorn took a timid step back, silvery mane flashing in the moonlight.

“It’s okay, girl.” She soothed, putting a hand to her chest. “I’m a…a friend of Newt’s.”

Upon hearing the Magizoologist’s name, the mare halted her decent back, but she did not come any closer.

“My name is Tina.” She told the unicorn, giving a small curtsey—only feeling just the slightest bit silly in doing so.

Her embarrassment vanished, however, when the mare’s ears pricked forward and she let out a soft nicker.

Tina beamed taking that as a cue to step forward. She ran a hand down the unicorn’s glossy neck, giving a quiet chuckle as the mare butted her nose against her shoulder.

“Who are _you_?”

Tina whirled around at the sound of a strongly accented—female—voice. 

A woman dressed in work clothes stood with a bucket propped against her hip and look of suspicion in her narrowed grey eyes looked at Tina from the edge of the enclosure. Tina fought the urge to shrink under her suspicious stare, feeling somewhat like a schoolgirl caught doing something she shouldn’t. 

Internally, Tina cursed. Surely Dougal had seen this coming. He could have at least stuck around long enough to warn her. 

“You shouldn’t be in there.” The woman said bluntly, gesturing towards the creature behind Tina. “She has a real nasty kick if you get too close.” 

As if to refute the woman’s warning, the mare nudged Tina’s arm, displeased that the attention had diverted from her. 

“Oh, I think Essie’s quite taken with Tina.” 

Both girls started at the gentle timbre of a certain redheaded Magizoologist. 

The woman whirled her gaze back to Tina. “You’re Tina?” She looked slightly put out, but the accusatory gleam in her eye had dimmed a bit. “I—your hair is different from the photograph in the newspaper.” 

“Oh.”

Warmth flooded Tina’s cheeks as she brought a hand up to tug on her short locks. She brought her eyes to Newt’s. His hair was mussed more than usual and though he was in his typical trousers and button-down, the untucked, if not slightly wrinkled shirt, told Tina that he had dressed rather quickly. 

“Tina,” He gestured toward the woman who looked as though a weight had dropped upon her shoulders. “This is Bunty—my assistant.” 

Tina smiled kindly at Bunty. 

Newt’s assistant, however, only gave her a curt nod in return before turning her attention. “I was telling Miss Goldstein that Essie here is awfully unpredictable,” Bunty said as she hoisted the metal bucket further onto her hip. “Her inexperience might do more harm than good to the progress we’ve made.”

Tina frowned at Bunty. What had she done to offend the woman? She’d hardly spoken two words to her. Tina stroked a hand down Essie’s soft nose in rebellion against the unfair accusation. Tina would never willingly harm the mare or any of Newt’s creatures for that matter. 

Newt cleared his throat, sensing the tension wafting between the two witches. “Actually, Tina was the one who helped me track down my missing creatures in New York.” The proud look Newt gave her sent a tightness to Tina’s throat. “I’d not entirely coin her inexperienced after that.” 

“As you’ve mentioned before, sir.”

Bunty’s mumbled reply did not go unheard by the Auror. Tina cocked her head as she watched the assistant send Newt a fleeting glance, and all the pieces started to fall together.

It was the look of longing.

She couldn’t blame the girl. Tina knew that look too well—it was one she often found herself doing more and more before catching herself and snapping out of her silly daydreams. 

Newt, however, did not seem to notice and Tina did not know whether to be relieved or roll her eyes at his obliviousness. 

Tina chose the latter as Newt gently took the bucket from his assistant’s hand. “We’ve got this Bunty. Why don’t you take Dougal out of the cold.” 

Tina’s attention flashed down to where snow had stuck to the edges of the invisible creature at Newt’s feet. 

She raised a brow in the demiguise’s general location. He was, after all, the reason she stood in nothing more than her cotton romper in the snow in a unicorn’s magically made forest.

As Bunty wordlessly led Dougal away from them, Tina wondered if the creature had already seen this moment played out in that clairvoyant head of his.

Tina turned her attention back to Newt and found him staring after Bunty and his creature. “I am terribly sorry for that. Bunty’s never had anything but a docile disposition around me and the creatures.” A small frown had formed beneath the russet mess of hair that he had not bothered to push out of his eyes. Tina fought down the urge to walk over and smooth it for him. “I’ve never known her to be so severe.” 

At that Tina snorted. 

“Can’t you see it?” 

She watched in great amusement as Newt flashed his eyes to her own in confusion.

“See what?” 

Tina could only stare at him in shock. _Mercy Lewis,_ he really had no idea. 

“She fancies you, Mr. Scamander.” 

“Fancies _me_?” He shook his head as if that were the most preposterous thing he’d ever heard. “No—no…she is my assistant.”

A flush had begun to travel up from beneath his collar, spreading towards his ears. Tina pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from grinning.

“Why else do you think she acted as she did towards me?” Tina laughed quietly. 

Newt’s eyes widened almost comically as realization sparked in his green orbs. “Oh, bugger,” He groaned, scraping a hand down his heated face. “It all makes sense now.” 

A shot of apprehension tickled through Tina’s amusement. “Do you…” She trailed off and leaned slightly into the mare’s warm neck for support. The last thing she wanted was to appear juvenile in her insecurity. 

But she had to know. 

She had to be certain because her heart could not take another miscommunication. Tina raised her gaze back to where the man who unknowingly held her fragile heart in his scar-spattered hands, and let the unspoken words hang between them with delicate hesitation. 

Newt, however, met her gaze with a surprising amount of boldness. “I don’t, Tina.” 

There was a firmness to those three little words that had Tina swallowing. He made to take a step forward, mouth open as if to add something more but hastily backed up. From behind her, Tina could feel the sudden stiffness in Essie’s muscled neck.

“Alright, girl,” He soothed Essie gently. Newt took a seat at the lip of the bricked passageway so that just his feet crossed over into the snowy enchantment. “I’ll stay right here.”

Clearing away the tightness that had made its way around her throat, Tina gave Newt a questioning look. 

“She hasn’t let anyone get close to her since she came here—not even me,” Newt said in answer to her silent question. “I found her in Ireland—at a poacher’s market. She was being auctioned off for game. By the time I found her, they had already gotten to her horn. I—I had to disguise as one of the poachers to put a bid in, so I think that is why she is still timid towards me.” 

As he spoke, Tina could see the pain in Newt’s ocean orbs. The devotion he had for his creatures always amazed her.

“She’ll come around,” Tina assured him resolutely. “Won’t you girl?”

The mare only snorted, nuzzling Tina’s empty hands. She gave a soft chuckle as Essie’s whiskers tickled her palms, and looked back towards Newt in delight.

A tender look had taken over his freckled features. It was the kind of look that made her insides whirl with butterflies, and a flush fill her cheeks with warmth.

“Why are you lookin’ at me like that Mr. Scamander?” Tina asked in a teasing tone that shook only slightly. It frightened her, how much she liked that look.

But there was still so much they hadn’t said. Still so much that _needed_ to be said. And yet, the timing had never permitted it.

Newt cleared his throat, “Because only you, Tina, would befriend a skittish unicorn while not blinking an eye at the fact that you’re standing in the snow in your pajamas.” There was a little smile upon his mouth as he scanned her bare feet. “Are you not freezing?”

Tina shyly looked down at her bare toes, wiggling some warmth back into them. With the excitement, she had all but forgotten about the cold. Now, she could feel her teeth begin to chatter as the wind snapped at her cheeks. 

“Actually,” Tina gave Essie on last pat and sheepishly made her way toward Newt. “I can’t feel my toes.” 

A quiet laugh escaped Newts lips as he stood, brushing off his trousers. He held out a hand that Tina took gratefully—it was warm despite the cold air, and instantly ceased her chattering.

The pair walked in comfortable silence as they made their way back. Newt kept her hand in his, and Tina did nothing to stop him. In fact, she stepped closer to him, rather liking the way his calloused palm fit against her own, smaller, softer one.

Newt was the first one to break the silence. “Not that I am not pleased that Essie is so taken with you, but how exactly did you end up in a unicorn’s den in the wee hours of the morning?”

Tina touched the necklace around her neck. “I couldn’t sleep.” She swallowed, the images of her dream flashing before her eyes. Before they got the better of her, Tina pushed them down and gave Newt what she hoped was a convincing smile. “And then Dougal showed up and practically dragged me down here.”

Newt eyed the hand at her neck, telling Tina that he saw right past her dismissal. However, he let it go, and shook his head, causing his unruly fringe to fall into his eyes. “I’m going to have a chat with that creature about boundaries.”

Tina gave his hand a grateful squeeze for not asking questions. “Oh, he meant well,” She mused fondly. “And I think he knew what he was doing.” 

Newt gave Tina a quick side-glance, which she returned with pink cheeks. They both looked away and continued there trek silently. 

Both were reluctant when it was time for them to let go of each other’s hands. But Newt had to start the morning feedings, and Tina wanted to check in on Jacob. 

“I’m no Queenie when it comes to making food,” Tina said, and Newt gave her a sad smile. “But I’ll see what I can scrounge up in that kitchen of yours.”

“Tina?”

Tina stopped at the shed’s threshold, turning to look back at the Magizoologist. 

“I’m—,” He paused, seeming to struggle with himself for a moment, but Tina waited for him patiently. “I’m glad that Dougal led you down here to me this morning.” 

_To me._

Warmth filled Tina’s chest, soothing the ache that had been there since her dream. She tucked a wayward strand out of her eyes and sent Newt a watery smile.

“I am too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, the unicorn bit has been done to pieces, but I couldn’t help myself.
> 
> Also, I planned to introduce the plot in this chapter, but these two obviously had other things in mind…  
> Next chapter, plot!


End file.
